Astros 16, Mariners 9

Scott Johnson, The Sports Xchange

The SportsXchangeApril 10, 2013

SEATTLE -- Bo Porter's patience finally paid off Tuesday night. Again and again and again. The Astros' first-year manager had been preaching for a week that his young team had the talent to put up some impressive numbers, and Houston did that and more while snapping a six-game losing streak with a 16-9 win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. Houston's offense erupted for five home runs and 22 hits, three shy of the franchise record. The run and hit totals were the Astros' highest since an 18-run, 22-hit outing in an August 2010 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. By the top of the second inning Tuesday night, the Astros (2-6) had scored as many runs -- nine -- as they produced during the entirety of their six-game losing streak. After Houston's Marwin Gonzalez led off the third inning with a solo home run, the team's third long ball of the night, the Astros had already exceeded their previous season total of homers. Mariners rookie starter Brandon Maurer didn't make it out of the first inning, surrendering six runs and seven hits while facing 10 Houston batters. Kameron Loe came on and registered the third out. Maurer (0-2) took a line drive off his right leg along the way but stayed in the game before getting the hook with runners on second and third base. Loe didn't fare a whole lot better, giving up three home runs in 2 1/3 innings. Houston's Chris Carter hit two home runs in a game for the first time in his career, while Astros leadoff hitter Jose Altuve went 4-for-6 with a double, a home run and four RBIs. Gonzalez and J.D. Martinez each hit his first home run of the season for the Astros. Houston starter Erik Bedard, who was making his first appearance at Safeco Field since spending three injury-plagued seasons as a Mariner through 2011, retired the first 10 batters he faced but did not factor in the decision because he was pulled after four innings. He allowed just one hit and did not give up a run, throwing 66 pitches in his first start of the season. Reliever Paul Clemens, who was making his major league debut, won his first major league decision despite a rocky performance. He gave up three home runs and five runs in four innings. Seattle (4-5) went through four relievers, and all of them gave up runs. The Mariners' offense didn't wake up until the Astros' lead was well out of reach. Jason Bay hit a solo home run in the seventh, then pinch hitter Raul Ibanez and Michael Morse went back-to-back off Clemens in the eighth. Seven of Seattle's runs came over the final three innings. NOTES: The Astros' lineup included Nos. 3-4-5 hitters that were all hitting below .175 on the season. That trio -- Jason Castro, Carter and Carlos Pena -- combined for eight hits and five RBIs. ... Through four innings, the Astros had 14 hits to raise their team season batting average 35 points -- from .201 to .236 -- in a span of 90 minutes. ... Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager was out of the lineup for the first time this season, leaving left fielder Michael Morse as the only Seattle player to have started each of the first nine games. ... Martinez was back in the lineup Tuesday, one day after manager Bo Porter benched him in the fifth inning of a loss. Martinez responded with two hits and three RBIs in the blowout win.